Some Consumers Claim Beef Has An “Ick” Factor

This week I've been working on Beef Producer's October marketing issue and reviewing some of the latest consumer studies from the Beef Board.

In one publication entitled “Barriers To Beef Selection And Usage,” I found something that just rubbed my fur the wrong way.

It appears there are a significant number of consumers who have real problems with touching meat -- not just beef -- and would like to hit the erase button on their reality track so they can forget they are eating the flesh of an animal.

As the authors of the publication state the problem: "Some respondents expressed high levels of anxiety or disgust about touching beef. The underlying fears are the feel and the wetness and the sliminess of the meat."

One consumer is quoted as saying, "I don’t like forming a patty with my hands."

The researchers continued: "For most of these we witnessed a set of instruments (primarily tongs) that became the insulator between the meat and the human. These instruments appeared to provide acceptable protection."

They added that the anxieties over touching meat are not "unique to beef."